Pre-Blues v AFCB: Made in Brum shot questions at Cherry Chimes

I informed you all that Cherry Chimes had spoke to Gabriel Sutton of Made for Brum earlier last week as a preview item for the Birmingham Fanzine. As many of you will not have had the chance to make the away trip and to read the copy I thought I would post the interview up so that you can see what Cherry chimes was asked pre-AFCB's great win at Birmingham.

Bournemouth Fan Questions


MIB: You’re eleventh in the table and seventeen points clear of the drop. Could your first season in the Championship have gone much better?

CC: At the start of the season I predicted a finish of 18th and half way through, having seen the other teams I thought 12th was possible with a good wind, so to see the Cherries sitting in 11th and still a good month or more of games to go is absolutely fantastic. The club’s best ever finish was 12th in the 1988-89 season, under Harry Redknapp. That will be the next target and who knows perhaps a record points total in the Championship. I think the play-offs might be out of reach but it was not about that this season – consolidation is what the club wanted and they have more than achieved that.

MIB: From what I can see, Eddie Howe has got you playing some good, possession football. If we want to see our country produce better technical players, do we need more coaches like him?

CC: I had a joke with my mates this week saying I’ll shoot the next person who says Eddie Howe should be an England manager one day. It’s not that I don’t believe his is good enough or that he has the talent to get there but I just want to keep him all to ourselves at AFC Bournemouth. When anyone mentions Eddie being linked with any move away from the club, I keep saying shush! We have lost him once and we don’t want to lose him again. I think Everton is one club he would consider in the future if they made an approach as it is the club he supported in his youth, but Eddie has just signed a two-year extension to his contract at Bournemouth and we are overjoyed to keep him for as long as he wants to stay.

Brendan Rogers gave an eloquent speech after the FA Cup Third Round tie we had with Liverpool where he pointed out that playing from the back with possession football was the way England players will progress. He also said that Eddie Howe is one of the coaches that players will learn a great deal from in the way he sets up his team to play, being brave on the ball and using movement and quickness to create space and opportunities. It is not just the first team that plays that way at AFC Bournemouth it is all the teams, from Development, to Youth and Junior squads. 

MIB: Only a few years ago, your club went into administration and could have dropped out of the Football League. Talk us through the journey the club has been on since then…

CC: It has been a remarkable experience to be a fan that has seen how close the club was to exiting the football league and yet, in just a few years, has mounted a strong challenge in the Championship this season, following two promotions. In 2008-9 we started with a -17 point deficit along with Rotherham and Luton on -30 points. Bournemouth employed the league’s youngest manager from its own coaching squad and then saw Steve Fletcher score his 100th goal with the winner against Grimsby to keep us up.

Move on a year and the team spirit that had been built up by Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall pushed the team to promotion in 2009-10 to League One. While Eddie and Jason left during the 2010-11 season, Bournemouth still reached the play-offs under Lee Bradbury and Steve Fletcher. But then most of the team were sold to balance the books and while the following season was disappointing and Paul Groves could not resurrect the good times, it was only in October 2012 when Eddie and Jason returned and things took off again. The club went from the bottom three to finish second in League One.

Credit should also go to Eddie Mitchell our former chairman who found new Russian investors to secure the financial future of the club and totally changed the landscape around the ground to make it Championship quality. Now that Bournemouth are in the Championship the ambition is still growing, because Premiership football is something that the club and fans feel can be achieved with this squad of players under Eddie Howe.

MIB: What did you make of the game back in December – a 2-0 win for Blues?

CC: I probably was not too complementary about Birmingham’s win as I thought the game really showed the naivety of Bournemouth at the Championship level at that time. The Blues showed us that you can defend as a team and just use your quality strikers to win the game as long as they can finish. It was a sucker punch job, but we’ve learned from that. It has taken until March to really get a few clean sheets but the team is defending much better now.

MIB: On my away day there, Bournemouth didn’t strike me as a town that especially welcomes football culture. Has it been difficult for the club to attract fans?

CC: The Saints down the road has a bigger population to pull from but with Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch being one of the country’s conurbations with good wealth creation and more young people now coming for the University and career opportunities in the south there are signs that things are changing. AFC Bournemouth attracted six thousand season ticket holders for the 2013-24 season and I believe the Junior Cherry membership has grown significantly from 303 in 2009 to 1400 in 2013. We average about 10,000 supporters for every home game now and will be looking to build that further next season.

MIB: You spent £2 million this summer on South African striker Tokelo Rantie. With two goals so far, the consensus seems to be that the club has been ripped off a bit. Would you agree?

CC: It is too early to say how good Tokelo Rantie is going to be. Very few players are an instant success when they change countries and leagues. He is a young international striker who plays for South Africa and is still learning his trade. Eddie Howe will work with him over the summer . It’s three goals I think, even if one was a bit disputed but you are right it’s not enough. He has to learn how to make a bigger frame and hold off challenges better with a good first touch. It’s a much more physical league than in Sweden where he played for Malmo. We have already seen that he can do the spectacular as seen in the Burnley away game. If he can start to put away chances from six yards as well he may yet prove to be a valuable signing within the next 12 months. And if the media reports are right, it was nearer to £2.25-2.5 million.

MIB: Time for your prediction. I’ve been looking through my record book, and the last time we scored a goal against you at St Andrews was from Andy Kennedy, a 1-1 draw back in August 1987. We’ve failed in five attempts since then, and with your defensive record of late, are we in danger of making it a sixth?

CC: I am writing this before the Leeds game which will take a bit out of our players. I know Birmingham will need the points perhaps more than us, but I can see more frustration for Lee Clark and perhaps another away win coming for our boys 0-1. We will bring good support.

I was a little out in my prediction, but at least I thought three points was something the Cherries could achieve and it has taken most peoples breath away just how well the team has played in the last two games - roll on QPR! 

I should have mentioned Jeff Mostyn as well who continues to work tirelessly for the cause of AFCB - we think you are great Jeff and we know you are always working behind the scenes to make the Cherries a success on and off the field. UTCIAD! Thanks again Made in Brum.

Reassuring words from Jeff Mostyn

This week has been a bit quite, dare I say, since Eddie Mitchell's decision to resign his position as chairman. The worry that I have always had is what kind of voice will we have from our owners now that Eddie has left the club. It would not be fair on the fans for the club not to have a chairman, as has been suggested in some conversations, so it was pleasing that vice chairman Jeff Mostyn broke the silence yesterday and said he would be honoured to take on the responsibility if asked to by Maxim Demin.  

There were a few other things that the BBC interview highlighted that may give AFCB supporters some reassurance as they try and peer into the future. Jeff said the club is "in safe hands" under Max and while the fans do not know much about the Russian owner at least it sounds like the board are confident that the direction in which the club has been taken is set to continue. In Jeff words, it's a case of: "Everything about this club smacks at being at the top level and that is our ambition."

That word "ambition" keeps cropping up when there is talk from those at the heart of the club and it has indeed been exciting times. Where the ambition will take the Cherries remains to be seen, but AFCB certainly has people that want it to get to the very top tier.

I'm glad that Jeff is fully behind what has been happening at AFCB and if he does become the chairman it would give the fans more confidence and help the stability. Jeff is one of our own and while Maxim is our biggest investor, he needs to get closer to AFCB fans to receive their full appreciation if that is what he wants. Certainly the fans need a figure head behind which they can rally, although Eddie Howe already offers this to a large extent.

The unknown is perhaps what most AFCB fans are wary of. We have seen some hard times and many redundancies in the past and with the club being very close to folding. It is the financial side of matters that us fans will always concerns fans.

What you can't deny is the achievements of the last four years have been pretty astounding, both on and off the pitch. We are headed into a new period in the club's history. That slogan which says "Anything is possible" has also now been reinforced by the signing of a highly rated international striker. 

Reassurance is something that will only come over time, but Jeff Mostyn is sure that AFCB fans should be enjoying the rise of the club at the moment. Undoubtedly, another three points at the weekend will help to put a smile on people's faces.    

Howe needs more home heroics

Do you know when AFCB last lost a league game at home? You'll have to look back a bit because the team has managed to go unbeaten at Dean Court since 9 March 2013, when they were felled 1:2 by Doncaster Rovers in the thick sea mist. That is seven winning games in a row which will make them a match for any Championship team coming down to the south coast. While friendly games have seen West Ham and Real Madrid come away with wins, the home form of AFCB is very strong.

Blackpool, who the Cherries play next, have a similar home record. In fact all of the top 10 teams are up there because they don't drop many points at home. Leeds Utd are the only ones that have been beaten at home in the league this season and that was just a one-nil defeat against QPR who are second.

Home form is they key to keeping the Cherries in a good position and with the current atmosphere around the ground on match day the players seem to be enjoying these games in front of the home crowd. The next game will be the first since our Chairman, Eddie Mitchell, resigned so it could be a bit of a strange atmosphere, but I hope the club has something very positive to say before then. The appearance of new striker Tokelo Rantie being introduced to the crowd should also lift the spirits.

We want to keep the positive attitude going into the next group of matches. I am trying not to look too far ahead because there are some amazing games to come and if the team keeps responding to the home crowd's passion and backing for the boys it will be a very memorable season. There is so much to enjoy now about match day and while we have to wait a few more days I hope you are already thinking about  how Eddie and Jason might tackle the top of the table team. Cherry Chimes, for sure, will be doing some homework on Blackpool.  

A new era at AFC Bournemouth

I can't help but think that the departure of Eddie Mitchell is a watershed moment. How Maxim Demin takes the club forward has no doubt been a matter of discussion over the last few months. We know that he does not like to show his face much around Dean Court, but surely he has to change and he'll have to speak up or get somebody to do that for him.

The vision of reaching the Premiership is clearly the goal for Mr Demin. The timescale is probably privately kept somewhere, but there is no doubt that the aspirations of the Russian ownership is to take the club to the next level. How much changes around AFCB's family club remains to be seen. I hope it does not become unrecognisable.

Eddie Mitchell's words as he left the Chairmanship were to reiterate that dialogue has to continue and that there was a harmonious need for it. But it comes as a shock to most of us that Eddie Mitchell has decided to leave now. I do hope his health is good and that the reason is more that he felt he had taken the club as far as he could.

If you look at the Premiership clubs, all of the leading ones are under foreign ownership with wealthy backers. To be successful at the higher levels of football it is probably what you now need. But with Eddie Mitchell's decision to make way only made after the Huddersfield game it still is not clear why he decided now was the best time move over. At least there is a 11 day gap before our next game and a chance for things to settle down. Whether you liked Eddie Mitchell or not the club has lost a familiar face at the helm and things won't be exactly the same. I do hope some one has bottled Eddie's passion and enthusiasm.

We have already seen some great developments at Dean Court and I hope that continues. Investment is great when it is used well. What I would say is that the relationship between Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall with Maxim Demin now comes very much to the fore. Eddie Mitchell is no longer a go between who will be there every day. I imagine that being able to bring in the players that he has wanted will have pleased Eddie Howe and if Maxim looks where AFCB is in the table that will be pleasing him. The difficulty will come when there is a hiccup and the team does lose form. I don't ever want to think about Eddie Howe's job coming under pressure, but the security he has had at AFCB may just have become less secure when he has a bad run of games.

So I may be one who is not thinking only good can come from a change at the top. I sincerely hope that it is the right decision for the club to reach its ambitions. If we know anything though about this club it is that nothing ever goes that smoothly. 

Trust Eddie Mitchell though to grab the headlines on transfer deadline day! I'm just glad that he has gone out smiling. Now the fans can reflect a bit on what he has achieved for AFCB. And as Eddie himself said, UTCIAD!

Mitchell's difficult decision

Last night Twitter chat was very lively following the news from Echo reporter Neil Perrett that Chairman Eddie Micthell was close to agreeing a deal to sell his share holding in AFCB. It was also said that the Russian business partners would be looking to invest some £40 million in the club.

Like many AFCB supporters I was absolutely shocked at the rumours considering where Eddie Mitchell has taken the club to and what he has gone through to get it to the Championship. Some have said that he may not have had much choice, but the Echo reporter suggested that Mitchell has possibly been considering selling his shares for some months. 

Eddie Mitchell's chairmanship began in June 2009 and he holds 25 per cent of the club with his wife Brenda holding a further 25 per cent and Russian Maxim Demin owns the other 50 per cent of AFCB. He has seen the club promoted twice from the League Two into League One and from League One to the Championship.

The decision either way will be a massive point in the club's history. AFC Bournemouth has never had such significant backing. I believe that Eddie Mitchell has always had the best interests of the fans in mind with the many difficult decisions he has taken over the years and this one is likely to be no different. We all know that chairman come and go, but this move is significant if it takes place.

I am sure that supporters views may well be mixed on this and what effect it will have on the management at the club and the players is impossible to tell at the moment.

More Forum reaction and Eddie Mitchell's views

It was great to hear a few more views coming from Eddie Mitchell at the BBC Solent Fans' Forum the other night. The main thing was that our chairman and most supporters seem to be enjoying football at the moment. It was also reassuring to hear him say: "While I'm in charge everyone will feel pressure to improve." Success is what everyone craves.

Eddie Mitchell took this further in saying three clubs will go up this season and why can't one of them be AFCB? "I want to be one of those teams, " he said. We certainly do have a good spirit at the club now and as Eddie Mitchell says if we go about thing in a sensible manner, with sensible management and investment we can use these tools to go forward.

He was a little less certain to about what was meant by self-sustaining, but it will be difficult for us to compete against bigger teams when we need to raise our numbers at the gates, which Eddie Mitchell says will not happen overnight. But I was pleased to hear that he thought we would get there in the end and that "entertainment and success" are the main ways to achieve this, although there are lots of pressures. It was also important that he recognises that it is easy to very commit, even if the rewards are better the higher you go.

Mr Mitchell added: "It is foremost in my mind to get the stadium back under our control." Moreover, he expects to achieve this during his tenure as Chairman. But such an objective will not be made to put the club in any jeopardy. Eddie reiterated that we need to get more people in the ground and while the rent was reasonable there was no need to panic as the ground is available to the club on a long term lease.

Turning to opinions of the new Ted MacDougall stand, Eddie said it is semi-permanent and would stay while we are in the Championship and was all but purchased. If the club got promoted again it would have to come down to be replaced by a permanent structure. But for this league "we will suck it and see," he said. When the bigger clubs ask for more seats AFCB may have to release some seats in the new stand, but it is up to home supporters to try and fill it first. Economics will come into it, but the club knows it is a huge advantage to have home supporters behind both goals.

When asked about a plan B, if Maxim Denim ever withdrew his support for the club and wanted his money back, Eddie was vigorous in defending the club's efforts to secure more financial support this summer from local companies looking to invest in AFCB's success. He underlined that everyone of the supporters who spend money in the shop are helping the club and that AFCB must supply entertainment and value in return. Moreover, the club cannot rely on one person or one company to sustain it. "It's my job to bring in more investment to the club," said Eddie. "It's the work ethic that will keep this club going."

Regarding the Chariman's previous comments about going to support the Saints down the road if you didn't like it at AFCB, he admitted that perhaps he could have put things differently but that it maybe made supporters understand his character. "I am such a bad loser," he said. "I know the manager and players feel the same." The comment was "a reflection of the way I work," he said. "In a straight line. I just want the club to be strong."

So there were not to many revelations expect the news that the club does intend to open another exit to the Gloucester Road end of the car park and that it also has plans for a new slipway onto the Wessex Way which would be part-government finance. That is surely good news for those who travel to the home games by car.  

Countdown to season's kick-off well underway

It won't be long before we see our countdown clock click down to zero days as the new season kicks in. I'll be pleased to see the usual faces and some new ones around Dean Court for what should be the most exciting season we have had in recent times and we have had some amazing seasons in the last four or five years.

There is nothing like waking up on a Saturday morning knowing that you have a match to go to. My first view of the new Ted MacDougall stand at the South end the other day already put a smile on my face. There will be plenty of cheering and conversation in the stands about our new signings and who we think will be taking to the field in that first match. And with lots of new sponsors around the ground there should be lots to take in as everyone tries to get their message across to an expectant crowd.

I will be looking out for one or two faces in particularly to see how they are doing. I am not sure Super Fletch will be able to hold back his emotions and I expect Eddie Mitchell to be punching the air at some point. I know  who will be concentrating on the game though and who will be getting the players heads just right - Eddie and Jason. 

After a long and slow summer it is Eddie Howe that I most want to see. Just knowing he is on the touchline breathes confidence in me, all the Cherries' fans and the players. We are in this together so let's have a successful season. UTCIAD!

Listening in to BBC Solents Fans' Forum

This Thursday night will see the return of the BBC Solents Fans' Forum with Eddie Mitchell, Eddie Howe, Tommy Elphick and Richard Hughes answering the questions from eager fans that want to know what is really happening at the club. This is likely to be a much happier occasion that we might have had in the past when things had not being going so well for the club. The issues of financial sustainability and how AFCB might do in the Championship are sure to raise their heads along with player injury updates, the night we played Real Madrid and the decision of who exactly will be sitting in that Ted MacDougall stand.

It is pretty much a not to be missed listen with some revelations bound to be announces as the club seems to like springing surprises on its fans. I am particularly keen to hear how Eddie Howe feels going into the Championship season. Is he confident that we have the players to really do well at this level? has he lost out on one or two signings? Which players are not available for Saturday?

Views from the players will come from Tommy Elphick and Richard Hughes neither of whom we have not heard from over the summer and it will be good to know how the mood is within the camp and if Elphick is happy with playing new systems like three at the back? I will be keen to find out if they have managed to put last season's heroics well and truly behind them now as they embark on their exciting new life in the Championship. The players have to be fully focussed on what they need to achieve if AFCB is to have another successful year.

If you are going to the event, make sure you enjoy the night. It should be an informative one.

Eddie Mitchell's Premiership ambitions

There are a few sayings that come to mind like "Getting ahead of yourself", and "Runing before you can walk", but in many ways AFCB Chairman Eddie Mitchell's recent comments about AFCB needing to plan ahead for a possible future in the Premiership do need to be considered.

I am okay with the company having a tilt at the Premiership if it is not at all costs and does not land us back in financial ruin. I only hope we take it steady next season and just see how things go before getting too carried away. The Championship is a hard league and has many games that are won and lost in an instance. Getting out of the league is easier down the bottom and we don't want that to happen.

With AFCB's current rate of progress it is not unthinkable that in the next few years it could make the top level of English football just like it could find itself suffering a few relegations. It is the financial balance side of things that has me most worried about having a go at the big time. Maxim Demin will no doubt be pleased if he can achieve a return on his investment at some point, but while the rewards are enormous in the Premiership so are the payouts.

Attracting bigger crowds to Dean Court and dealing with the issues of increased numbers of fans wanting to park near the ground is something that can be worked out, but the club does need to plan ahead for such issues if it is not to be caught out. If so, the building work has only just begun at AFCB and a further transformation will be in store down the line.

When you are playing the likes of Real Madrid at the weekend it's hard not to dream what if some of the time. At least there is a positive buzz with all things AFC Bournemouth. Much of that is because people are working very hard at the club and are trying to keep the success and momentum going.

So rather than shooting any one down for having dreams and ambitions it is refreshing just see how things develop. Who indeed knows where the club will be in a few years time. For the moment I am enjoying where AFCB is today.

For those going to see Poole Town v AFCB tonight enjoy the game. UTCIAD!

Real Madrid match: "priceless for the club"

Eddie Mitchell mentioned on Cherries player that a mutual friend of Tom Mitchell and Real Madrid enabled the club to secure the spectacular fixture against Real Madrid.

The chairman said the he and Maxim Demin took more of a back seat in negotiations for the Real Madrid fixture and that Tom and Neill Blake sorted most of the arrangements. Real Madrid have been over to see AFC Bournemouth and the facilities in preparation for the game.

Seeing the smiles on peoples' faces is what Eddie Mitchell is looking forward to. Eddie says the match will be "priceless for the club".

A calmer Eddie Mitchell in the Championship?

While our Chairman is perhaps known as one of the most colourful characters when he was happy to speak out at fans on the pitch and discuss his views openly in front of the cameras in League One, the club is speaking with more of a united voice these days.

In past seasons we have been entertained with Eddie's verbal expressions of passion for the club and his anger at those who did not share his views. Of late, Mr Mitchell has bot been so vocal except when the end was nigh for Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks. Since then it has been mainly smiles from our larger than life chairman. 

To be fair he has had no reason complain about much that has been happening over the last six months. He has seen his decision (or was it his wife's?) to bring back Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall come off exceptionally well, the team has performed above most peoples' expectations and he still has more building projects under way.

So why do I think Eddie Mitchell may choose his words more carefully in the Championship? Well, I feel the club has been striving for better communication with its fans for a while now and it is starting to show. The recent question about which kit to wear in the final home game was quickly resolved when the fans asked for it to stay the red and black home kit rather than the new all black third kit. Better communication with the fans and the media in general is a real positive for AFCB.

That's not to say that controversy is easy to avoid. Just look at the problems clubs like Blackburn Rovers have had with the Venky family. Bolton have had a dressing down over their sponsorship deal and Cardiff's Malaysian tie-up through its owner has proved particularly troublesome. The need for such big teams to achieve Premiership football seems to drive them to some crazy decisions. The pressure in the Championship will be on for Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Blackburn, Leeds, Bolton and Birmingham. For AFCB it is a chance to enjoy our newly won position and hopefully play with the shackles off unlike many other sides.

Undoubtedly, the spotlight will really be on our club though as a newcomer to the Championship, but at the end of the day the club is in it together. I expect AFCB to concentrate on getting the important things right, on and off the pitch. Mr Mitchell and the club have done a pretty good job in this respect in the last few months. 

What do you hope to see on AFCB's official dvd of last season?

The club announced recently that there would be an official dvd of AFC Bournemouth's amazing promotion season to the Championship. I started to imagine what would be on this dvd and hope that there will be one or two moments where the players are seen in a light which they may not have been seen before. Like one of those documentaries when you see players in a relaxed mood, going about their day with a bit of banter or laughing and talking about events after the game or perhaps on the coach as they travel to a game.

Surely there will be scenes of Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall's news conference when they came back to the club and pictures when Eddie Mitchell was addressing the crowds on changing the manager after the home defeat to Walsall, last September. We may also see shots of the training ground opening with Harry Redknapp or the revealing of the Cherry Brick Road.

No doubt some coverage of the awards for best Family club and Matt Ricthies' NPower League One player of the year award should be celebrated. We'll also never forget Super Fletch's Brussels sprouts and special moments that we have come to love like Super Fletch taking to the pitch and Tommy Elphick's personal homages to the goal post before every match kicked off.

And what of the matches? There are so many memorable games. The three derby meetings with Pompey, the fabulous unbeaten run and the FA Cup games against Wigan Athletic. I hope the club can get the mixture of emotions from fans and players as the season developed because there were some lows and some massive highs. I expect there to be a lot of footage of the Carlisle home game when promotion was clinched and plenty of inflatable pictures from Tranmere. But the most amazing scenes were probably those open bus tour celebrations in Bournemouth Square.

I think the dvd will be a piece of history that most AFCB fans will love to own. The front cover will be a difficult choice but the whole team's photo on the pitch after the Carlisle game is going to take some beating. What moment do you most want to see on the dvd from last season?

AFCB accounts not great reading

Tony Husband announced on BBC South this evening that: "AFC Bournemouth made a loss of £3.4 million, according to their accounts file for last year, amidst concerns from auditors about the company's ability to continue as a going concern. The significance of Russian businessman, Maxim Demin's investment is highlighted. He loaned the company £6 million loan last year.

"The Cherries achieved promotion to the Championship last year on the back of heavy investment. Auditors had noticed that there's been an uncertainty about Bournemouth's ability to continue trading, these concerns are allayed by the directors who point to the presence of Demin, the 50 per cent co-owner of the club along with Eddie Mitchell.

"Bournemouth also face a half million pound bill if they lose an up coming employment tribunal with former boss Lee Bradbury, who left the club in 2012. That's a claim they are contesting."

Having heard all that, it does seem that the club has a gamble at getting promotion and without Demin's financial loan the club was financially stretched.

Today though we hear the that the club has sold a record 4000 season tickets and it's revenue is likely to climb next season now that it has reached the Championship.

It is a thin tightrope that the club has been treading to get promotion but let's hope that it does not break the bank in trying to stay there. Common sense must prevail and that is no doubt what the club has been thinking with its "restructuring''.

BBC article is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22612870

Does AFCB really have to change the club crest?

There has been a lot of talk in the last few days about Eddie Mitchell's comment that the it may be time to look at the club's crest and make some changes modernise it. I guess I am a bit of a traditionalist in that I don't really want to see any changes to our current badge. I grew up with the crest and it has always been something that I have loved about the club, because it was so distinct.

AFCB's crest is based on a computerised
 silhouette of  Dickie Dowsett

I like the fact that the crest is very different to any of the other clubs in the football leagues. The head looks kind or Art Deco to me and is quite a striking design. It was actually adopted in 1972 during the John Bond era, although I remember the two Cherries symbol appearing on the programmes and the shirts during the early 1980s. Apparently, the design of our current club crest was modelled on Dickie Dowsett who was a prolific striker in the 1950s for the club. At the time there were lots of references about the club heading upwards.

If it were to change I wonder what the club would have in mind for a new crest?A bit more red and black? Something to recognise Bournemouth's beaches perhaps, the New Forest  (bit too close to the Saints' badge), or could we have something a little more Russian? I expect Eddie Bear is already cowering somewhere around the Goldsands Stadium hoping that we don't upgrade him to a more Russian looking bear. Don't worry Eddie, you could be immortalised on the new club crest.

At least our Chairman has said that the name will remain AFC Bournemouth. This too apparently is only a trading name and officially the club is still Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football club, according to Wickipedia. It causes a bit of a problem fitting all that in the League Table every week, don't you think?

As the club has grown to encompass supporters from Christchurch and Poole I suppose we could have become 'Bourne Wanderers' to take into account our growth. But seriously, it is a big thing for the fans to change shirt designs and as we have seen recently fans are even more precious about club crests and names.

In 2002, Arsenal changed their crest to help with copyright and merchandising. MK Dons had to make a crest of their own because of their split from AFC Wimbledon. Such decisions don't come without a lot of disagreement and hurt amongst fans. Macclesfield fans protested so fiercely about keeping the lion on their crest in 2007 that the decision was reversed. I expect there are some other examples you may know of where clubs have had different crests over the years - Southampton FC and Brighton, etc.

In a way, I guess owners see it as a way of putting their own individual stamp on a club while there is always the possibility of commercial gain. I only hope that AFCB think carefully before changing something that really doesn't need fixing.

Having said that, the new black third kit has a beautiful gold crest embroidered on it which is in keeping with the design of the black away coach. I don't recall too many protets about the gold crest, only about needing to wear red and black on the last home game of the season. The gold on the crest looked fantastic.

While writing today's post I came across this excellent blog during my research, please take a look because there is some great information on Bournemouth's original crest (the town's coat of arms) and club history, plus details on many other football clubs:
http://thebeautifulhistory.wordpress.com/

A big thank you to Mr Mitchell

I know Eddie Mitchell is not every body's cup of tea and he has made a few mistakes along the way but thanks to his desire and drive it is AFC that have secured automatic promotion and there are many other clubs in League One that would have liked to achieve that.

Look around the ground now and you will see what improvements have been made in the last four or five years at Dean Court. You cannot say that Eddie Mitchell has not got ambition for this club and while he has had to make some tough decisions that have not often been popular, he has done it for what he considers the best interests of the club.

Whether it was his or his wife's decision to go and get Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall back I don't know but I am jolly glad he picked up the phone and got his man. His influence and friendship with Mr Maxim Demin has also brought wealth and opportunity to the club, plus some great signings - not to mention the car park!

We are all probably pleased that Eddie Mitchell has stayed away from the microphone a little more this season but I think we can allow him to say some triumphant words after his stunning success in pushing this club in the right direction.

I am one of those who never want to go down the road to watch Southampton play football and I don't think Mr Mitchell wants any of you to either.

Let's hope we get some SKY coverage next season as well. We need to bring in the bucks to compete with the big teams we will be facing next season.

UTCIAD!

Promotion celebrations at AFCB

While the stewards tried admirably to prevent the crowd from going onto the pitch there was no hope really. The crowd gathered at the tunnel to await Sheffield's result and when it came the noise was thunderous, "We are going up!'' over and over again.

 Pitch invasion

Eddie and Jason's lap of honour 

Eddie Howe leads the tributes

It was some time then before the crowd dispersed and the players came out one by one to cheers, followed by the back room staff, physios and Jason and Eddie. It seemed obligatory that you carry a child out, but once everyone was out on the centre circle it was time for the monster bottle of champagne to be opened with Tubbs getting a full soaking.

Eddie then thanked the supporters for their efforts and his players as well as Eddie Mitchell for what he has done for the club. Speaking to MC Mike Botto, Eddie Howe said: ''It's not mathematically confirmed yet is it. Not on goal difference.''

Charlie Daniels thinks AFCB fans could celebrate a bit more.

Someone is going to get wet!

Shacky, shacky, shacky!

Look out!

Drink up!

''Oh, Eddie we're up'' replied Mike. ''Goal difference, who cares about goal difference?'' There was plenty of laughter from home supporters.

"To achieve it all at home was the world to us,'' Eddie Howe said. We did not know what we had when we got here.. 9 or 10 players we knew, the rest were a mix of Lee Bradbuy's, Paul Groves' and Shaun Brooks' signings.

''At the first training session the level of ability surprised us and the attitude of the players.'' Eddie then spoke about how Jason and he looked to integrate the group better and work on their mentality.

Speaking about Eddie Mitchell, Eddie Howe said: ''We have been through a lot together. This club was on its knees in terms not only of finances, but the ground and he has done a lot of work to build the club up and he has done it in the right way from the youth side upwards, the stadium is now aesthetically pleasing. As well as financing it he has put his heart and sole into it... hopefully the club will be here now for the next generation and the future.'' 

Eddie said he was not bothered about the Brentford v Hartlepool game and that it would only matter to him if AFCB were to play Brentford in the play-offs. His mind was already on the Tranmere game and working out how to win the league and to go up as champions.

Can't wait! Look out Tranmere the best team in the league are headed your way and are looking for 9 wins in 9 games. Unbelievable.